On Being Busy
Friday, November 18, 2011 at 9:06PM Previously on Blonde Champagne: "Carmen Ohio" restored thanks to you....
Backstage, all throughout the final concert of his career, Jason The Ridiculously Awesome Drum Major was very busy.
There were long pauses between his time with the baton in front of the crowd. As his fellow bandsmen played through each selection, he took up his baton and pantomimed his own performances to them, twirling hand over hand, faking high tosses, and mimicking the occasional ground bounce. He wandered into a dressing room to check on a football game played between two teams he did not care about. Sometimes he performed exaggerated choreographic displays for the entertainment of the student staff and assistant conductors. There was Chicken Dancing.
Occasionally, while twirling the stick, Jason's own reflection in a long mirror caught his attention, and he looked back at it full-on, straight in the eye and with the air of a curious bystander, this flash of his own self in the full formal uniform of the Ohio State Drum Major. I stood with my hands clasped, let the music flow in from the stage, and let him be.
As backstage diversions go, he was stunning. It very nearly outstripped his work before the audience, which that night clicked along like a hypersonic fighter jet out for a grocery run: What was happening when Jason was on stage was a kinetic wonder, and yet no one in the audience twisted their hands wondering whether or not he would catch the baton or land square on the stage. He just would, that's all. You could relax and enjoy the sight of him leaping several feet in the air to return all involved parties safely to the Earth. It was a well-maintained roller coaster, not a wild plunge from a rocky cliff. 
He was a Drum Major performing at the summit of his athletic and emotional maturity, the physical skills he had been perfecting for years synching with a sophistication which can be only garnered on a stage instead of a practice field. He had acheived this while still throwing forth the just-sparked fire of a man in love with his work; he was a pro without the weariness and cynicism which too often marks one. As his predecessor and coach from childhood had hoped, Jason Stuckert had peaked, and with ramp entrances to spare.
Occasionally, Greg Eyer came into the wings from the audience. As the Band played "Take the A Train," and as Jason began semi-reprising his halftime show well out of sight of the crowd, Greg turned to me and said, "I twirled to this arrangement. Still know it."
He flipped a pretend stick in the air, stood beside his protoge, and performed it again. At one point they mirrored one another, mentor and student slowly passing their batons, both real and imagined, through their legs. And I watched 1986 and 2011 side by side until the song concluded. And by then the clock had ticked forward some more.
So yes, Jason was very busy until there were about five minutes to go in the concert, and then he was very still. The directors were preparing to announce the 2011 Most Inspirational Bandmember, the highest formal award The Ohio State University Marching Band can give. It is bestowed by the members of the Band itself, not a clot of trustees and donors and alumni. There have been fifty-seven Ohio State Drum Majors. Of these, eight have been MIB. And the announcement would go down and the concert would be over.
And Jason, suddenly quiet in a plastic chair backstage, knew this. But the reason why he was suddenly still was precisely the reason why his name was about to be announced. And it wasn't because he was just simply dying to have in his possession a wooden plaque in the shape of the state of Ohio.
I knelt down next to him on the dusty floorboards of Veteran's Memorial Stadium, covering his clasped hands with one of mine.
"I just want to thank everybody," he said, not looking at me, and then, still not looking at me, got up and walked to the edge of the stage.
And then he was in the spotlight with a microphone in one hand and the plaque in the other, thanking everybody. And he came offstage and gathered his baton and his hat, holding both with care, for there was a week of rehearsals yet before his final home game.
There are still a few minutes left to go.
Reader Comments (83)
(buries face in hands)
You two.
Killing me.
Congratulations to our former Young One!
Jason The Awesome if you are out there.... congratulations! How great is that!
Mary Beth, your heart is breaking. You are so happy for Our Jason but your heart is breaking.
YES.
Well deserved, Twirling Overlord.
Nice choice, TBDBITL.
Jason I know you check in every now and then. I know we've never met but through MB's writing I feel like I know you, not the Drum Major, but this terrific guy the whole band is proud of. Couldn't have happened to a better guy.
Congratulations.
I call bullshit on this whole entire post.
TInk isn't crying.
I call bullshit on this entire post. TInk isn't crying.
Of course not, she's not in a parking lot.
Our Jason, way to go! We are so proud of you!
That picture is downright art. Almost as good as the words that go with it :)
There is no way this season is almost over, it feels like the Band is still "Band To Be."
Love the picture.
(crying)
Girl I swear you ain't got no guts left because you done poured them all out into a Word document.
Mary Beth, your heart is breaking. You are so happy for Our Jason but your heart is breaking.
I got exactly the same gist.
Good on ya Awesome One!
I was okay until MB took his hand, and then, well.... sniff.
that photo is BRILLIANT
P.S. So are you Miss Belle
P.P.S So are you Jason
First things first: Congratulations Jason!
I think the structure of this post is really interesting in the sense that MB "spoilered" the fact that Our Jason won the award. But I think she knew we'd know as soon as she brought it up, and to bring it in all of a sudden at the end of the post with having to explain the whole thing would have brought the emotional impact to a screeching halt. So she was up front about it. I think it works well :)
This post is EXACTLY why Jason The Ridiculously Awesome Drum Major is in fact Our Jason. He's not just some guy in the uniform. He is Our Jason with a personality and strengths of his own, and THAT is who MB has bonded with and probably would have even if they somehow managed to meet without TBDBITL.
I stood with my arms clasped, let the music flow in from the stage, and let him be.
Most other women would have followed him around the stage, all: "What is it? Did I do something wrong? Are you mad at me? Tell me! I know something's going on! TALK ABOUT YOUR FEEEEEEEEEELINNNNNNNNNNGS!"
She knew what was up. She just focused on other stuff, let him do his thang, and waited until he was chill and looked like he needed a friend. That's AWESOME.
Josh The Pilot is an incredibly, INCREDIBLY lucky man.
Most other women would have followed him around the stage, all: "What is it? Did I do something wrong? Are you mad at me? Tell me! I know something's going on! TALK ABOUT YOUR FEEEEEEEEEELINNNNNNNNNNGS!"
Bahahahaha, my ex would have followed him out into the f-ing spotlight while dude was trying to twirl. "WHY WON'T YOU TALK TO ME?!?!?!??!?"
Oh and congratulations Jason, both on the award and in clearly capturing the respect of our Belle.
So excited for you!!!!!!!!!!!
You do us all proud, Mr. Stuckert.
Beautiful MB. Simply beautiful
Our Jason, I hope you have a great game today. I could care less about the final score but I wish you and the Band a terrific day.
Seems like just yesterday we were anxiously waiting to hear if Jason the Awesome was repeating his title. Hard to believe the end of the season is here.
Many congratulations.
That's wonderful, Jason. We're all so happy for you.
Have a super game.
a lovely post about a lovely moment between two lovely people.... thank you for sharing it MB
Why do I insist upon reading MB-Jason posts AFTER I've put on non-waterproof mascara?
Picture is amazing.
So is the Drum Major.
So is his lyricist.
We are all proud of you Our Jason, and I'm sure your parents and Greg and Supposedly Subdued and 54 and Matt The Badass and Stew Kitchen The Big Deal are too. Couldn't get much better than this!
What is it like to work so long and so hard to achieve a dream like that?! You really are awesome, Jason.
Many, many congrats to Our Jason. We have greatly enjoyed the ride.
What an image of Jason and Greg "performing" together. Terrific.
Knew that Band is a smart one :) That's great news.
Mary Beth you really took a risk opening yourself up like this, after reading you for a long time I know that you have a very tender heart. It is always better to choose to love and I can see you've made that choice with Our Jason and this Band even though as others said your heart is breaking right now.
Well isn't this an excuse to drink.
TO THE MOST INSPIRATIONAL DRUM MAJOR!
As always you do us Buckeyes proud, Jason.
so well deserved
Jason inspires me, and I'm not even a Band member!
Very fitting. Congratulations Jason.
Enjoy the game Jason!
You too MB!
So she was up front about it. I think it works well :)
Me too. In that way it was actually a surprise in the way she discussed the award. I really liked reading this. (And of course congratulations to Our Jason!)
"Josh The Pilot is an incredibly, INCREDIBLY lucky man."
Thanks, USAFDude. As I've said on Facebook, the comments section here on BlondeChampagne provides all the evidence of why I married Tink.
I hope you had a great game Jason... sorry the football team couldn't make it a little better for you.
I am always moved by Mary Beth's more serious posts and especially when she is revealing her connection with Our Jason. This is one of the best. Amazing band, amazing writing.
How on earth could the Ohio State Athletic Department want LESS of this organization?! Does not compute.
Is it pathetic that I saw a shot of The Awesome One on ABC during the game and shrieked like a little girl? "IT'S JASON!!!!!"
I can't even tell you how much I'm going to miss these posts. Somebody start a support group.